Just World Beliefs in a Time of Crisis: Cross-Lagged Panel and Moderating Cross-National Effects on Mental Health and Well-Being Outcomes

Abstract

Belief in a just world (BJW) is well established as a coping resource, particularly for those times when the world is experienced as uncertain, unpredictable, and uncontrollable. The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic was such a time, and therefore provided an opportunity to test the boundary conditions of BJW theorizing. Here, we make a new methodological contribution, testing (a) cross-lagged panel effects of BJW on mental health and well-being variables and (b) whether these effects generalized cross-nationally. Drawing from data collected in early-mid 2020 by the PsyCorona Project (N = 2574 from 30 countries), BJW-self and BJW-other longitudinally predicted positive social/mental health, well-being, and hope, and these findings generalized across countries. We discuss the theoretical and applied implications of BJW as a coping resource in a time of crisis.